Vino
Vino Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 game board
- 200 vineyard chips (40 translucent chips in 5 colors)
- 50 grape markers
- 5 player info cards
- 5 screens
- 1 barrel marker
- 6 wine bottles
- 30 square grape variety markers
- 5 round price labels
- Play money: 40 each of 10 Vino, 50 Vino, and 100 Vino bills, and 30 of the 500 Vino bills
- 1 rule booklet
- 1 rule summary sheet
Before the first game, carefully remove the square grape variety markers, the round price labels, and the player info cards from their frames. Fold the screens along the scored lines so they can stand on their own.
Setup
- Place the board in the middle of the table and the barrel marker next to the board.
- Each of the nine regions has 3 to 21 vineyards, represented by a series of connected circles. The number in each circle is the cost of buying that vineyard. Private regions have solid numbers and government-owned regions have outlined numbers. Next to each region is a set of 2 to 5 squares that represent the varieties of wine that are produced there. Place the square grape variety markers on these squares, matching the varieties and the region colors.
- Place the 6 wine bottles on the round spaces marked with wine bottles near the regions that offer government-owned vineyards.
- Place the price labels for the five varieties of wine on the "0" space on the market table at the bottom of the board.
- Each player chooses a color and takes the 40 translucent vineyard chips of that color. The players keep their chips in plain view on the table near them so the others know their color and how many chips they have remaining.
- Each player takes a screen, a player info card, and 10 grape markers.
The upper part of the player info card has spaces for each of the nine regions on the board. When a player buys his first vineyard in a region, he selects one of the grape variety markers from that region and places it in that region's space on his info card. He also uses this area to mark the regions where he wants to purchase new vineyards.
The lower part of a player's info card is the player's wine cellar. The player uses two grape markers to keep track of the amount of each variety of wine he has in his cellar. Place the grapes in the two left-most holes for each variety (representing no wine stored). One grape represents the "ones" place and the other, the "tens" place, but there is only room to count to 49. When a player buys a vineyard, he adds one to the corresponding variety in his cellar. Thus, 13 would be represented by a grape in the "10" hole and the other grape in the "3" hole.
- The oldest player is the banker. He gives 1000 Vinos to each player as his starting capital.
- The wind rose on the map has numbers "1" to "5", representing player turn order. The player to the left of the banker puts one of his vineyard chips on space "1" of the wind rose. In clockwise order, the other players place one of their vineyard chips on the "2", "3", and so on. This is the starting player order.
Game Overview
In the preliminary round, each player buys three vineyards.
During the game, the players buy vineyards and decide which varieties of wine they will produce in those vineyards. When they sell their wine, the price depends on the demand for that variety and the amount sold. With the money players receive from selling wine, they can invest in more vineyards.
Winning the Game
In the end, the player who has the most vineyards is the winner.
Preliminary Round
To start the game, each player draws two grape variety markers which determine the varieties and regions where he may buy his first two vineyards. After each player has two vineyards, they each buy one more. Each player begins the game with three vineyards.
First Two Vineyards - Chosen Randomly
The banker takes the following grape variety markers from the board, places them up-side-down on the table, and shuffles them thoroughly.
- Liguria - Nebbiolo
- Lazio - Trebbiano
- Campania - Montepulciano
- Sardegna - Pinot Grigio
- Calabria - Pinot Grigio
- Abruzzo - Barbera
- Toscana - Montepulciano
- Veneto - Nebbiolo
- Trentino - Trebbiano
In the player turn order shown on the wind rose, each player chooses his starting vineyards as described below.
- He draws two of the up-side-down grape variety markers and turns them face up.
- He may now buy one vineyard (government-owned or private) in each of the regions represented by the markers drawn.
- He chooses the vineyards he wants to buy.
- Next, he pays the bank the cost of the vineyards and puts one of his vineyard chips on each one.
- Then, he puts the two grape variety markers on the corresponding region spaces on his info card.
- Finally, he moves the grape markers on his info card to add one to each of the grape varieties grown in the vineyards he bought.
With fewer than five players, there will be one or more grape variety markers unused after all the players have drawn their two markers. Place the unused markers in their places back on the board.
With five players, there will be just one grape variety marker left for the banker on his turn (he is the last player). First, he takes that marker and may buy his first vineyard there as described above. For his second vineyard, he may select any available vineyard (one without a vineyard chip) from any of the regions. He may buy a second vineyard in the same region as his first or he may buy a vineyard in a different region. If he chooses a new region, he may select from any of the available grape varieties in that region.
Third Vineyard - Selected
In the player turn order shown on the wind rose, each player chooses a third starting vineyard.
- He chooses any available vineyard in any region. To be available, the vineyard must not have a vineyard chip on it. Also, if the region is new to the player, there must be a grape variety marker left for him to take. If there are no more available for that region, he may not select a vineyard there.
- If he selects a region where he already has one or more vineyards, he pays the bank the cost of the vineyard and puts one of his vineyard chips on the vineyard.
- If he selects a vineyard in a region where he has no vineyard, he must immediately choose from the available grape variety markers which variety he will grow in this region. He takes the grape variety marker of the variety he chose and puts it on the corresponding region space on his info card. Then he pays the bank the cost of the vineyard and puts one of his vineyard chips on the vineyard.
- In either case, he moves the appropriate grape marker on his info card to add one to the grape variety grown in the vineyard he bought.
Choosing Grape Varieties
When a player buys his first vineyard in a region, he must immediately choose the variety of grape he will grow in that region from those still available. If none are available, he may not buy the vineyard.
He takes the grape variety marker of the variety he chose and puts it on the corresponding region space on his info card.
This is the only variety he may grow in this region. Thus, if he buys other vineyards in this region, he must grow this variety on them. Also, no other player may grow this variety in this region.
When a player gives up his last vineyard in a region, he returns its grape variety marker to the board. If he subsequently wants to buy a vineyard in this region, he is treated as new to the region.
Example: In a game with five players, Bob (red) draws Liguria with Nebbiolo. The banker (yellow) selects Liguria for his second vineyard. He must grow Pinot Grigio as it is the only variety left. There is now one free vineyard in Liguria, but no available grape variety marker. Therefore, the starting player cannot buy the third vineyard. Only Bob or the banker can buy this vineyard.
Playing the Game
The game is played in a succession of rounds. Player order can change after each round and is based on the amount of income a player receives in the round. Each round has three parts, played in this sequence:
- Buy vineyards
- Sell wine
- Change player turn order
Buy Vineyards
Region Selection
- Each player places his info card behind his screen so that the other players cannot see the region spaces at the top.
- Each player chooses two regions where he wants to buy vineyards this round. He secretly marks those two region spaces on his info card by placing one of his vineyard chips on each one.
- When all players have marked two region spaces on their cards, they remove their screens so all players can see the regions they have selected.
Buy in Region Order
The purchase of vineyards is conducted by region in the order of the regions as they are numbered on the board. Skip regions which no player selected. As you move through the regions from Liguria to Trentino, place the barrel marker on each region to mark it as the current region. This allows you to keep track of the region where vineyards are being purchased.
Who May Buy
Players may only purchase vineyards in the regions they marked on their info cards. The purchase order depends on whether the player already has vineyards in the region and how many the player has.
Players with Vineyards in the Region
The players with vineyards in the region have the first opportunity to buy additional vineyards. If several players have vineyards in the region, the purchase order is based on the number of vineyards each owns. The player with the most vineyards in the region is first to buy, followed by the player with the second most, and so on.
On a player's turn to buy, he may buy as many as he wants, limited only by his capital and the number available. He may buy government-owned or private vineyards. For each vineyard, he pays the amount listed and places a vineyard chip on it.
Breaking Ties Among Players with Vineyards in the Region
The vineyards in each region are connected by paths that lead from one to the next, starting with the least expensive and going to the most expensive vineyard. Players may buy the vineyards in any order. When two or more players tie, the player with the vineyard that is furthest along the path from the least expensive vineyard may buy before the others.
Players without Vineyards in the Region
Next, the players who selected the region, but had no vineyards there may buy one at a time in player turn order. The players keep taking turns buying one until all have passed. When a player passes his opportunity to buy, he may buy no more in this region this round. They may buy government-owned or private vineyards. For each vineyard bought, they pay the amount listed and place a vineyard chip on it.
Example: In this example, all players have chosen to buy vineyards in Veneto. Green and lilac buy first, since they have vineyards in Veneto. As they both have three vineyards, lilac goes first because his value 200 vineyard is furthest along the path from the cheapest vineyard in Veneto.
Lilac buys two private vineyards for 200 Vinos each (1,2). Then green buys one private vineyard for 200 Vinos (3). Now red and yellow take turns buying one vineyard each. Red buys a private vineyard for 250 Vinos (4) and decides to grow Barbera, taking the Barbera marker and putting it on his info card. Yellow buys a government-owned vineyard for 250 Vinos (5) and must grow Trebbiano as it is the only variety left. She puts the Trebbiano marker on her info card. Red buys a government-owned vineyard for 250 Vinos (6). Finally, yellow buys a private vineyard for 300 Vinos (7). Now both pass, ending buying in Veneto for this round.
Other Vineyard Buying Rules
- A player need not purchase a vineyard in a region he has selected.
- Players may never borrow from the bank or from each other.
- Players may not trade or sell vineyards or wine among themselves.
Special Give-Away of Government-Owned Vineyards
When a player buys the last available private vineyard in one of the regions that have government-owned vineyards (shown on the map with wine bottles), the game is interrupted immediately for a special government give-away. This occurs even if some players still want to buy vineyards in the region. If any vineyards are left after the give-away, these players can continue their buying. If no government-owned vineyards are available, the give-away is skipped.
The government gives the players all of its remaining vineyards in the region. Only players who already have vineyards in the region are eligible. First, the player with most vineyards in the region chooses one of the available government-owned vineyards, places a vineyard chip on the vineyard, and adjusts his wine cellar to add one of that type. Then, the player with the second most vineyards in the region chooses two of the available government-owned vineyards, places vineyard chips on both and adjusts his wine cellar to add two of that type. The player with the third most vineyards in the region takes the remaining available government-owned vineyards, places vineyard chips on them and adjusts his wine cellar to add as many of that type as he took. All other players receive none.
Just as when buying vineyards, when two or more players tie, the player with the vineyard that is furthest along the path from the least expensive vineyard will be awarded government-owned vineyards before the others.
The vineyards are given away to the players in the order indicated. If there are too few available, the second player may not get the two he is allowed and the third player may get none.
In the situation where only two players have vineyards in a region, there may be government-owned vineyards available after both players have taken theirs. These are not given away, but remain available for purchase.
After the give-away for a region (even if no vineyards were available to be given-away), remove the wine bottle from that region. This serves to indicate that the region has already had a give-away. If it occurs that the last available private vineyard in that region is again purchased, no give-away occurs.
If a player buys the last available government-owned vineyard in a region that has not had a give-away, the player removes the wine bottle for that region. That region will not have a give-away in this game.
When the give-away is complete, the buying of vineyards continues where it was interrupted.
Sell Wine
Limitations and Player Order
After the players have had the opportunity to buy vineyards in all the regions they selected, the players have one opportunity to sell wine from their wine cellars. The players sell wine in player turn order as shown on the wind rose. Each player may sell only one variety of wine, but he may sell as much or as little of that kind as he wants, limited, of course, by the amount in his cellar. A player may choose to sell no wine.
Choosing the Variety and Quantity to Sell
On a player's turn, he first decides whether he wants to sell any wine. If he decides not to sell wine, his turn is over. He does not sell wine this round. If he decides to sell wine, he decides which of the varieties in his wine cellar he wants to sell. His info card shows him how much he has of this variety. This will be the maximum he can sell. He then decides how much of this variety he wants to sell. He may sell as much as he wants: from 1 to the total amount of that variety in his wine cellar.
Example: Cheryl has 5 vineyards in Trentino, 3 in Abruzzo, and 2 in Campania. She has chosen to grow Trebbiano in all three regions. Thus, she has a total of 10 Trebbiano in her wine cellar to sell.
Calculating the Income from the Sale
First, the player uses the price table on the back of his screen. He finds the number he will sell in the row labeled "number sold". His basic income for that number is shown in that column directly below the number. Next he looks at the market table at the bottom of the board. The market table represents the current demand for the five varieties of wine. It can run from -500 to +500. He finds the price label for the variety of wine he is selling and adds the number from that square to his basic income to get his total income. The banker gives the player this amount of money.
Continuing the example from above, Cheryl decides to sell all 10 Trebbiano from her wine cellar. According to the price table, her basic income for selling 10 Trebbiano is 1300 Vinos. The market table shows the demand for Trebbiano is low: the price label for Trebbiano is in the -100 space. Thus, Cheryl receives 1200 Vinos from the bank for her wine.
Keeping Income Separate
The players keep the income they earn in the round in a separate pile from the money they earned in previous rounds. The new money can be stacked to the left of the info cards and old money to the right. The turn order for the next round is based on the players' incomes in the previous round.
Losing Vineyards
When a player sells wine, he must return vineyards to the bank based on the amount of wine he sold. The number returned is shown on the price table on the back of the player's screen. To find the number, the player looks in the column with the number sold to the row labeled "lost vineyards". The player chooses which vineyards to return, but must select vineyards that are growing the variety of grapes that matches the wine he sold. He may return vineyards from any number of regions as long as they are of the right variety. The player returns the vineyards by picking up his vineyard chips from the vineyards he returns. After he picks up the chips, he adjusts his wine cellar for that variety, subtracting the number returned. All returned vineyards are available to be purchased by players in the next round.
Again, continuing the example from above, because Cheryl sold 10 Trebbiano, she must return 3 vineyards growing Trebbiano to the bank. She chooses to return 2 vineyards from Trentino and 1 from Abruzzo, leaving her vineyards in Campania untouched. Then she adjusts the grape markers in her wine cellar for Trebbiano to read 7.
Returning the Last Vineyard in a Region
When a player returns his last vineyard in a region, he must also return the grape variety marker for that region to its place on the board.
Changing the Market
When a player sells wine, the demand for that variety will drop and there will be corresponding increases in demand for the other varieties. The number on the bottom row of the price table indicates the size of the change in demand. The player moves the price label for the wine he sold left on the market table a number of squares equal to the change in demand. Then he moves other price labels to the right a total of this number of squares. He may move any number of price labels, but not the one he sold. The demand for a variety may never fall below -500 nor rise above +500. If a player sells enough wine such that the demand level would drop below -500, it stops at -500. The demand for other varieties is increased only by the amount the sold variety dropped. Thus, the sum of demands for all varieties will always be 0.
Again, continuing the example from above, because Cheryl sold 10 Trebbiano, the demand for Trebbiano drops 3 levels to -400. She then decides to increase the demand for Barbera by 2 levels, from -200 to 0. With one level left to allocate, she chooses to increase the demand for Montepulciano by 1 level, from +100 to +200. She cannot increase the demand for Trebbiano, since it is the variety she sold.
The changes in the market table take effect immediately and, thus, affect the prices for the other players selling later in the round.
Change Player Turn Order
At the end of the round, the players determine the player turn order for the next round. They start by removing their vineyard chips from the wind rose. Then, the player with the lowest income in the round puts one of his chips on space "1" of the wind rose. He is the starting player in the next round. The other players follow in order of increasing income, putting a chip on "2", "3", and so on. If players have equal incomes, they maintain the same position among themselves as they had in this round.
If a player, by mistake or with intention, mixes his income for the current round with his cash from previous rounds, he is placed last in the player turn order for the following round. If several players mix their money, the player who is the starting player for the next round decides the player turn order for them from among the last positions available. He cannot place them above a player who did not mix his money.
If players put income to the left of their info card and old money to the right, they can avoid mistakes. After determining the new player turn order, players then add their new income to their old money. A player's money must always be displayed on the table, but may be stacked. The exact amount of a player's money is kept secret from the other players.
Now a new round begins.
Game End and Scoring
The game ends after the last wine bottle is removed from the board: meaning there can be no further government give-aways. The current round continues with vineyard purchases, but no wine may be sold.
The player with the most vineyards is the winner! If several players tie for most vineyards, the player among them with the most money is the winner!
Notes and Strategy Suggestions
- Always remember that the goal of the game is to have the most vineyards at the end. Money earned in the game is useful only to the extent it is used to invest in vineyards.
- Always try to buy vineyards as cheaply as possible, but remember also that ties are often resolved by looking at the furthest vineyard from the least expensive vineyard in a region.
- Try to be represented in regions with government-owned vineyards so that you may receive give-away vineyards. Also, remember that second and third place in the region get more free vineyards than first place. Balancing the need to have the most vineyards with the desire to be in second or third position when government-owned vineyards are given-away may prove to be the biggest challenge of the game. Of course, fourth place in a region loses in two ways: you have few vineyards and get no free give-away vineyards.
- It is best to acquire moderate numbers of two or three varieties than focus on large numbers of just one or to have a few of all varieties. Having just one variety will give you little flexibility when the demand for that variety drops. With two or three varieties, you are more likely to have a variety to sell whose demand is high.
- When selling wine, it is best to balance the desire for money to invest with the losses of vineyards for large sales.
- By selling little or no wine in one round, you may be able to arrange player turn order so that you can sell first in the next round. This can give you the best price in a variety while forcing the price down for the other players.
- When returning vineyards after selling wine, pay attention to the possible player turn order in the next round. If you are likely to be buying first, you can give back inexpensive vineyards and buy them back in the next round. However, if other players are likely to buy before you, give back the expensive vineyards.
- When increasing demand for other wines after making a sale, pay attention to which varieties following players are likely to sell. Do not raise demand too much on varieties likely to be sold by other players.
- The wine cellars serve only as a reminder of a player's holdings of vineyards on the board. If a player notices that the count in his wine cellar for a variety does not match the number of vineyards of that variety he has on the board, he adjusts his wine cellar count to match what he has on the board.
- Generally, the grape and wine varieties used in the game correspond to the types actually grown and produced in the regions shown on the map. However, for game balance, some varieties were included in areas where they are not normally found. For the same reason, some regions were combined into one rather than being left as the more normally occurring separate regions.